Shoe



March 1953 B. J. WEILBACHER 2,630,635

SHOE

Filed June 14, 1949 INVENTOR. BERNARD J. WEILBACHER Patented Mar. 10, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOE Bernard J. Weilbachcr, Columbus, Ohio Application June 14, 1949, Serial No. 98,980

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a shoe, and more particularly to the construction of the upper portion of the shoe. In general, the invention resides in forming the upper portion of the shoe to provide ankle support without binding the ankle in such a manner as to interfere with the free movement of the ankle in walking or to impede the circulation. The invention includes constructing the upper portion so that the pressure from the laces is directed across the arch and the instep of the foot, and the foot is prevented from moving or sliding forward in the shoe while walking.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a shoe having an upper member formed with a top portion providing support for the ankle, the upper edges of the top portion extending in a curve on each side of the ankle and transversely across the ankle above the apex of the projecting portion of the ankle bone on the inside of the foot. This curve starts at a point adjacent the rear or back edge portion of the shoe and terminates at the front of the shoe approximately in line with the apex of the projecting portion of the ankle bone on the outside of the foot. A feature of this construction is that the ankle is supported with a minimum amount of leather and neither the freedom of movement nor the circulation are impeded.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shoe construction of the type described wherein the upper edges of the top portion curve downwardly above the apex of the projecting portion of the tibia on the inside of the foot and terminate at the front of the shoe substantially at the point where the forward bending of the ankle takes place in walking.

It is also an object of the invention to position the top pair of openings for receiving the shoe laces substantially at the point where the forward bending of the ankle takes place in walking, i. e., approximately opposite or in line with the apex of the projecting portion of the fibula on the outside of the foot. This construction provides for directing the pull of the laces across the arch and the instep of the foot and prevents the forward bending of the ankle when walking from causing the shoe to buckle whereby the laces are loosened and the foot allowed to slide forward in the shoe.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred form of embodiment of the invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a shoe constructed in accordance with the present invention and showing in phantom view a left foot as seen from the outside of the foot;

Fig. 2 is a partial, back elevational view illustrating the normal alignment of a heel and ankle and left leg bones;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the shoe and foot shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing in full lines the same shoe and foot as viewed from the inside and indicating in dotted lines a conventional shoe upper construction.

Referring further to the drawings, the shoe illustrated comprises a sole portion H) to which the upper member, indicated generally at H, is secured in the usual manner. The upper member includes the toe or vamp portion l2, counter portions l3 and a back stay indicated at M.

The upper member I l is formed with a top portion having oppositely disposed sides I! and I8, Fig. 3, which provide support for the ankle. Referring to Fig. 2, the lower end of the fibula l9 and tibia 20 of the leg are shown. These bones form a socket for the astragalus 21 which is supported on the Os Calcis 22. As shown, the lower extremities of the fibula and tibia form projections on each side of the ankle. The apex 23 of the projecting portion of the tibia 'on the inside of the foot is at an elevation substantially above the apex 24 of the projecting portion of the fibula on the outside of the foot. Thus, in constructing the sides I1 and I8, the upper edges 21 and 28 are cut to form a curve extending transversely across the ankle. This curve extends substantially above the apex 23 of the'projecting portion of the tibia on the inside of the foot. For example, in a shoe for an adult the edges 21 and 28 are cut to extend in a curve from a point 29 at the rear of the shoe. Point 29 is approximately 1% inches vertically above a horizontal reference plane extending through the apex 23 of the tibia. These edges continue to curve downwardly from the point 29 and pass through the point 30, which is vertically above the apexes 23 and 24, and approximately 1%, inches above the horizontal reference plane through apex 23. These edge curves terminate substantially at the points 3| and 32 at the front of the shoe. These points of termination, for the example given, are preferably about 1% inches vertically below said horizontal reference plane extending through the apex 23. In constructing a shoe upper for an infants shoe, the edges 21 and 28 are cut down to form a curve similar to 3 that described for an adult shoe. Thus, regardless of the size of shoe, the edges 21 and 28 are cut down to form a curve extending from the back to the front of the shoe. The location of the points 29 and 30 are determined by the development of the astragalus. It is necessary, to adequately support the ankle, for the edges 2'1 and 28 to only extend sufficiently to substantially cover the projecting portion of the tibia which surrounds" the apex 23 on the inside of the foot. In comparison with the example given for an adult shoe, it will be readily apparent that for an infants shoe the vertical distances from the reference plane through the apex 23 to the points 29 and 30 will be proportionally less than those given and will depend upon the degree or extent of the growth and developmentot the astragalus, i. e., age of the child. The points 31 and 32 can be located for either an adult or an infants shoe construction by placing these points approximately in line with the apex "2-4 of the 'projec'ting portion of the fibula on the outside of the' foot. The points 3| and 32 are substantially Within, or preferably just slightly below the horizontal plane which extends through the apex 24.

Sides l7 and 18 in the front of the shoe have oppositely disposed openings or eyelets as indi cated at 35. These openings extend along the instepand are formed to receive the lacing means 36 which releasably secures the shoe on the foot in the usual manner. The top pair of openings 35 are positioned in, or just slightly below, the horizontal plane extending through the apex 24 of the fibula, i. e;, they are substantially in the horizontal plane defined by the points 3! and 32. The remaining pairs of openings extend downwardly, as indicated, at regularly spaced intervals, There may be four pairs of such openings for an infants shoe and five for an adults shoe. These openings 35 are thus positioned so that the pressure from the laces is applied across the arch and instep of the foot to support the same. Thus, when the laces are pulled tight, the pressure therefrom is not applied transversely across, i. e.-, does'not bind the ankle as occurs with the customary high top or ankle support type of shoe. However, the laces do pull the edges 2? and 28 transversely across the ankle just above the apex 23 which provides support for the ankle without impeding the movement of the ankle or the blood circulation. Furthermore, the ankle in rotating forwardly on the axis which extends between the apex-23 and the apex 24 of the ankle does not cause a-buckling of the shoe at thefront. With the ordinary high top or ankle support type of shoe such buckling occurs and causes the laces to loosen which allows the foot to slide forward in the shoe.

Referring to Fig. 4, a conventional high top or ankle support shoe upper is indicated by the dotted lines at 49. The difference in the two shoe constructions is readily apparent from the comparison shown. The saving in leather effected is considerable with this construction. Also, the two top openings 4| and 42 for lacing as customarily provided are eliminated. It is the pressure applied transversely across the ankle from the laces through the conventional openings, as at 4| and 42, which binds the ankle and impedes both the normal action of the ankle and the circulation. With the shoe bound tightly at the top through the openings 4| and 42, the normal ankle and foot action in walking causes the shoe to buckle at the front and loosens the laces in the openings below the two top openings 4| and 42. The foot is then no longer supported, i. e., held seated in the shoe, and the foot moves forward until the toes touch the vamp 12 or the ankle bones may pronate. It will be apparent from the above description that these defects in the conventional shoe are eliminated with the construction disclosed herein.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming Within the scope of the claim which follows.

I claim:

A shoe having a sole and an attached upper, said upper comprising two side portions extending upwardly to a point above the head of the tibia of the foot and having convexly curved top edges which extend from a maximum height at their rear junction forwardly and downwardly to a point in a horizontal plane through the apex of the projecting portion of the fibula, and lacing joining the forward edges of the upper sides up to the said point in the horizontal plane.

BERNARD J. WEILBACHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,995,506 Guy Mar. 26, 1935 2,427,229 Riley Sept. 9, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 201,269 Switzerland Mar. 16, 1939 386,726 Germany Dec. 27, 1923 721,138 France Dec. 12, 1931 

